Sugar or salt shaker



Patented Ian. l0. I899.

No. 6l7,489.

c. LAWTON. SUGAR 0R SALT SHAKER.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

ATTOBNEYJ position.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE,

OFCILIA LAWTON, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SUGAR OR SALT SHAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 617,489, dated January10, 1899. Application filed March 16,1898. Serial No. 674,097. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OECILIA LAW TON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Shaking or Sprinkling Salt, Sugar, Spices, Liquids, &c., of whichthe following is a full and complete specification, such as will enablethose skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Thisinvention relates to devices for sprinklin'g salt, sugar, spices,liquids, &c.; and it has for its object to provide asimple and improveddevice of this character in which the exit openings will be alwaysautomatically closed when the device is in normal upright The inventionis fully disclosed in the following specification, of which theaccompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of myimprovement are desig-' nated by the same letters of reference in eachof the views, and iriwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectionalview of a device embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a side View ofthe device.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the body of the vessel, whichmaybe of any suitable or adapted contour and may be constructed of anysuitable material. Said body or vessel A has exit-openings a in its sideor bottom in lieu of at its top. The vessel A forms a closed receptacleand is provided with a detachable bottom 13, which may be connected withthe body by screw-threads b or in any other suitable manner.

0 designates a rod or stem, which is longitudinally and slidably mountedin the vessel A and passes through a bearing-opening b in the bottom Bthereof, and this stem carries at its lower end a disk or head a, whichis adapted to fit within a corresponding recess b in the bottom B. Therelative construction and arrangement are preferably such that when theVessel is resting in normal upright position upon its bottom B the diskor head 0 will be flush with the bottom surface of the latter, as shownin Fig. 1. The stem 0 carries cross-pieces or radial arms D, which carryat their outer end a fiathead or plate d,which may be formed of metal,cork, wood, or any adapted material and bears interiorly against theportion of the sides of the vessel A in which the exit-openings a areformed. The head or plate 61 corresponds to this portion of the sides orwalls of the vessel, and-the relative construction and adjustment aresuch that when the vessel stands in normal upright position (thuspressing the disk or head 0 of the stem into position with relation tothe bottom B) the head or plate d will completely cover theexit-openings Ct.

It will be noted that besides the fact that my improved construction andarrangement are especially adapted for automatically closing theexit-openings whenever the vessel is in normal upright position theclosure of said exit-openings also excludes air from the vessel, so thatthe contents are thus preserved in proper condition.

I prefer to form flattened heads or plates d at diametrically oppositesides of the stem cross-pieces or arms, so that the stem is braced inposition, and the stem may be further braced or strengthened by theprovision of additional cross-pieces or radial arms D, suitably arrangedat right angles to the crosspiece D. The vessel is preferably providedwith a smooth interior wall-surface of a diameter corresponding to theremovable bottom B, so that the stem mechanism may be withdrawn, ifdesired, through the bottom opening. Suitable guide-grooves 6 may beprovided interiorly in the sides of walls of the vessel for thereception and guidance of the flattened heads or plates d.

The stem 0 preferably projects through an opening 12 in the top of thevessel A, and its extended projecting'top end 0 may be provided with aball or knob c ,which will serve as a handle by which the vessel can belifted and which can also be employed to depress the stem whenever thelatter does'not operate by its own gravity. The operation of the stem bymeans of its projecting top end can also be employed to shake up thecontents of the vessel and prevent clogging or packing of the same. Thecross-pieces or arms D D are preferably fiat, like a knife-blade, sothat they will cut their way through the contents of the vessel if thelatter have become bar dened.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise formsand details of construction as herein shown and described, as manifestvariations and modifications may be employed without departing from thespirit of my invention. I therefore reserve the right to all suchvariations and modifications as properly fall within the spirit andscope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

IIaving fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A vessel of the class described, adapted tonormally rest in upright position and provided with outlet-openings inits side walls, a stem slidably mounted within said vessel and embodyinga lower end portion projecting through the bottom thereof, andcrosspieces or radial arms projecting from said stem and carrying headsor plates adapted to close the outlet-openings in the walls of thevessel, the relative construction and arrangement being such that whenthe Vessel rests in normal upright position and the projecting bottomportion of the stem is forced upwardly, the plates or heads upon the armwill be in operative position for the closure of the outlet-openings,substantially as set forth.

2. A vessel of the class described, adapted to normally rest in uprightposition and provided with outlet openings and vertical grooves in itsside walls, and a Valve-seat in its bottom, a stem slidably mounted insaid vessel, and embodying a lower end portion projecting through thebottom thereof, and a valve formed on the said lower end portion of saidstem and fitting the valve-seat, crosspieces or radial arms projectingfrom said stem and carrying heads or plates adapted to close theopenings in the walls of the vessel, said heads or plates fitting andbeing adapted to move in the vertical grooves in the inner surface ofthe walls of the vessel, the relative construction and arrangemen tbeingsuch that when the vessel rests in normal upright position and thevalve on the projecting bottom portion of the stem is forced upwardlyinto the seat, the plates or heads upon the arms will be in operativeposition for the closure of the outlet-openings, and the bottom portionof the vessel sealed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of March,1898.

OEOILIA LAWTON.

Witnesses:

ANNIE B. GOURDIN, Rosa DOUGLAS LEWIS.

